Unfortunately, we live in flea capital of the world! They annoy our animal companions just as the weather starts getting warmer.

Let’s first discuss the cycle of the flea for better understanding and then we will discuss various remedies. The adult flea hopping around on your pet and in your house, are only about 1% of the entire flea population in your home environment. So, this means for every flea you see, there are actually at least 99 more in one or another stage of development lurking around the house or yard. 8-10% of the population is in the pupae (cocoon) stage, 35-37% is in the larval stage and 50-54% of the population consists of flea eggs. The adult female flea can lay from 10 to 50 eggs a day in appropriate weather. The eggs are laid on the “host” (your pet companion) and most will fall off into the carpet or in the yard. A majority of those eggs and the resulting larvae and pupae remain within 50 feet of their hosts favorite resting spot. Flea larvae emerge from the eggs within 1-10 days. It is a vicious cycle! So, you ask how do I protect my pet? There are many ways to combat the flea season, but first you must protect your pet from the inside out. Fleas prefer weaker, less healthy hosts and very young puppies and kittens with underdeveloped immune systems. Knowing this we can arm our pets for flea resistance by boosting their health and immunity. If you have a flea problem, this is the first place to start. 1) Diet is the key to their health. Whole fresh food is an important element for you to incorporate in your animal companion’s diet. (Read article “Ideal Nutrition for your pet”) 2) Supplements- Adding supplements to aid in boosting your pets immune system and overall health. We have all these great products listed below.

  • Essential Fatty Acids– Helps boost immune system and boosts the health of the skin and coat.

Try Animal Essentials Fatty Acids or Wild Alaskan Salmon Oil.

  •  Plant Enzymes and Probiotics assists in the digestion and absorption of nutrients which are necessary to maintain good health. It relieves the extra burden placed on the digestive system because it breaks down fat, carbs, cellulose and protein.
  • Multi-Vitamin– Great overall vitamin to add to their food. Missing Link, Animal Essential, Solid Gold, Fidonutrients
  •  Flea Treats– A Vitamin B complex that is flavored with real liver so, your pet will love them. The vitamin becomes a natural repellent. You can’t smell it and your pets aren’t bothered by the repellent, but fleas don’t like it. So, they stay off your pet completely.

3) Over vaccinating is taxing on your pets immune system. Educate yourself about the risks of too many vaccinations before succumbing to the usual pressure to vaccinate annually. What about flea treatments? We carry Frontline and Advantage only. Unfortunately, a pesticide is a pesticide no matter what you call it. We only recommend spot-on flea treatments as a last result or for animals that have severe allergies to fleas. Only use these spot on flea treatments during flea season, not all year long. Listed below are natural products that we carry and see work in killing and/or deterring fleas.

  • Evolv by Wondercide – Kills and repels fleas, ticks and mosquitoes. Spray on bedding and play areas for routine prevention. Spray in hand and massage in or spray directly on your dog never in the eyes or face. Stops scratching, comforts dry skin and hot spots, restores coat, will not stain fur or furniture. Okay to use on dogs and most cats. Some cats have a sensitivity to essential oils, including cedarwood oil, which is an ingredient of this product.
  • Diatomaceous Earth (DE) – We carry food grade DE by, Wolf Creek Ranch. It is in a powder form and consists diatoms, a type of algae. The DE dehydrates the fleas when they come in contact with it. It can be used on your carpet and furniture and then vacuumed up, as well as in your yard. It can also be used directly on your pet and their bedding. Just gently rub it in. When using DE, be careful not to breath in the dust from the powder, especially if you have asthma or respiratory issues, as this can cause issues. It can also be used to treat internal parasites and worms. Humans can safely ingest the food grade DE we carry also.
  • In addition to Evolv, we recommend regular vacuuming, washing of bedding and using a metal toothed flea comb. A flea comb has teeth, which are close enough together to catch the fleas as you comb through your pet’s hair. It can also help collect flea dirt and flea eggs. Have a bowl of soapy water to drown the fleas in. You can use a kitchen utensil to aid the process. You can also try spraying the Evolv onto the flea comb before using. This can help kill, or at least slow down the flea so it doesn’t jump back on to your pet.

If you have questions about our products or need additional flea treatment assistance, we are available in the store seven days per week to assist you.